Last night I decided it’s been too long since I’ve made up a big batch of Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats.  Steel Cut Oats are My FAVORITE type of oat because they are completely unrefined and they have such a chewy texture that almost “pops” in your mouth.  I am pretty sure once you try REAL Steel Cut Oats (NOT the Quick Cooking Kind), it will be hard for you to go back to regular oatmeal.  This recipe is so easy and you wake to a big pot of Steel Cut Oats.

CROCKPOT STEEL CUT OATS WITH PEACHES & BLUEBERRIES

INGREDIENTS:

3 C Steel Cut Oats (I used Trader Joe’s)

1/4 C Ground Flax Seeds

8 C water

2 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract (I used Bourbon Vanilla )

Pinch of Salt, optional

1 lb frozen peaches

1-2 c frozen blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray or use a crock pot liner.  DO NOT SKIP this step you will be scrubbing for days.

2.  Combine all the ingredients in your crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

3.  Remove cinnamon sticks.  Serve with your favorite toppings.  I LOVE making this into a dessert and using brown sugar, whipped butter and coconut.

Makes 10 cups, 4 points per cup.

Nutritional information per serving (I think this estimate is high ~ calculated at sparksrecipes.com):

Calories 216.8, Total Fat 4.6 g, Saturated Fat 0.1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 51.9 mg, Potassium 97.0 mg, Total Carbohydrate 39.4 g, Dietary Fiber 6.8 g, Sugars 9.7 g, Protein 6.9 g

I didn’t really do any step by steps for this recipe.  I fill my crock pot to the brim and all the fruit rises at it cooks over night.

Once you mix it all up, it looks like delicious oats with firm fruit.  It freezes AWESOME too, just be sure to portion into 1 cup containers.  A little water might be needed when heating.

I made a BIG 6 point bowl of comfort ~ topped with 1/2 Tbsp Whipped Butter, 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar and a sprinkle of unsweetened organic coconut.

MELTED brown sugar + whipped butter = CARAMEL ~ this tastes just like PEACH COBBLER in every bite if you don’t mix it up!

Mid morning I snacked on a LF Cabot Cheese and small Banana (2 pts)

Last night I was sort of on a roll with preparing foods for the week.  I whipped up a Batch of Harvest Grain Salad.  I had a 1/2 cup (4 pt) serving over mixed greens with mini peppers, an 1/8 of Avocado (1 pt) and Beniisimo Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar.

Flavored Balsamic Vinegars are my FAVORITE salad topper because they add pretty much zero calories and TONS of flavor.

Since I am debating if I have a cold or not, I added a cup of Muir Glen Organic Chicken Noodle Soup for good measure (2 pts).

And a perfectly hard boiled egg ~ 2 points of Protein

My AWESOME co-worker brought me my FAVORITE ChocoLOVE bar today so I knew that my afternoon snack was ALL ABOUT CHOCOLOVE!

Several of you have ask if their chocolate is really THAT good or why I LOVE it.  To me, it’s awesome because they include FULL SIZED ALMONDS plus just hints of sea salt with a super creamy, smooth dark chocolate.  I had 6 squares for 3 points (160 calories) which is totally worth it!

By the time I got home, I was pretty much feeling like I have a cold.  I decided I NEEDED some spicy soup to scare my cold away.  Awhile back, I saw that Biz made THIS VEGETABLE PHO soup and I have been wanting to make it ~ PHO is one of my FAVORITE soups around!  I wanted her entire meal actually but I was too lazy to make it all so I put a spin on it!

I started off combining the broth, ginger, jalapeño, pepper corn and cinnamon chips.  I was hesitant to add the cinnamon but it honestly added an AMAZING new level of flavor.

While my broth boiled, I chopped up some veggies I had on hand ~ cabbage, carrots, green onion and cilantro.

I pulled out some of the TJ’s MINI Chicken Cilantro Won Tons that I used when I made my Chicken Cilantro Potsticker Veggie Soup.

I removed everything in the chicken broth and added the cabbage and carrots.  I cooked them for 5 minutes, then added 12 mini wontons plus the jalepeno slices, oyster sauce and sriracha.  I let it cook for 2 minutes.

Tadahhhh! 4 points of deliciousness!

But, you know I couldn’t leave it alone ~ I doused it with more Sriracha!  Super HOT ~ hopefully I “singed” my cold away!

I think I could eat a million of these mini won tons ~ so good!

See, I actually did buy the won ton/pot sticker wrappers to make her Thai Basil Won Ton Cups too, but my cold wouldn’t let me So, I ended up just baking 5 of them at 350 for 8 minutes.  They are pretty tasty and would be awesome topped with some parmesan and black pepper. (2 pts)

I washed it all down with some Sobe Forti-FIGHT!

Plus, broke out my Greenergy to take along with my vitamins.

FUN STUFF TODAY!!! 

* I WON!! Biz held a giveaway to celebrate her birthday last week and I was the LUCKY winner today ~ woohoo!  Check out what I won – SO EXCITED!  Thanks BIZ!

 * Tomorrow (03/23) Is FREE Pastry Day @Starbucks ~ Get a FREE pastry w/any drink order PRINT YOUR COUPON and tell me what you got!

* Not that this is related to anything in particular, but, this cool chart for Food Storage came in my Eat Clean Diet Newsletter ~ thought I’d share.

My book and BED are calling my NAME ~ I hope this COLD goes AWAY soon!

Night all!

Happy Monday All!  Today is an AWESOME day because it’s The Scandalous Bachelor Finale, it’s sunny outside and I had some AMAZING eats.  I cooked up TWO new “international” recipes this weekend ~ Chinese & Mexican Food ~ Both turned out to be PHENOMENAL…but more on that in a bit.

I happened to come across these Candied Pecan’s at Trader Joe’s this weekend.   I have totally been wanting to try them ever since.

What better way to sample these nuts than to whip up a batch of Caramel Pecan Banana Oats!  5 points for this entire bowl of goodness.

1/3 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1/2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed

2/3 c water

BIG Dashes of Cinnamon

All cooked for 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave.

3/4 of a small banana mixed in and 1/4 for topping

1/2 Tbsp Whipped Butter melted

1 tsp brown sugar

4 CANDIED Pecans broken into pieces

I just LOVE the combination of the salty whipped butter with the melted brown sugar caramel and these little candied pecan treats.  The pecans are perfectly salty, sweet and not over sugared ~ YUM.  I made sure I got a little treat with each bite.

I really should’ve had some protein with  my oats because I was STARVING an hour later.  I managed to hold out for 3 hours until I had my mid morning snack of TJ’s Organic Vanilla Yogurt with a nectarine (3 pts).  I am really digging this yogurt ~ honestly the flavor is like that of FROYO!

My lunch today was inspired by the latest issue of Cooking Light Magazine.  II LOVE digging into this magazine as soon as it arrives.  The first thing I check out is the recipes (of course!) then, I move on to the articles.

I have to say there are some great articles in this months issue!

1.  The 25 Most Common Cooking Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) (p. 108) – Cooking Light offers tips on how to avoid the 25 most common cooking mistakes, so you can breeze through every culinary adventure without fear. Common mistakes include overcrowding the sauté pan, turning food too often, slicing meat with the grain rather than against it, not tasting as you go, and more.

Yup, I’ll be the first to admit, I make a few of them

2.  The Healthy Cook’s 3-Step Pantry Planner (p. 48-49) – There is a pull-out guide that offers tips on keeping a well maintained pantry, stocked with healthy must-haves.  Tips include knowing what you have, upgrading your ingredients, and building a collection of essential spices.  Now, I just need someone to come makeover my pantry for me

3.  Guilt-Free Pizza in 20 Minutes (p. 102) – Making pizza nutritious is all about proportion and smart topping trade-offs.  Cooking Light offers recipes and tips on making a healthy, nutritious pie, ready in about 20 minutes.  PIZZA 101 Homemade vs store bought ~ LOVE it!

4.  And for all those GIVING UP MEAT FOR LENT ~

Start with… a Can of Chickpeas (p. 95) – This versatile legume finds a home in many cuisines, from Spanish tapas to Moroccan tagines, and many dishes in between.  Cooking Light offers four great chickpea combinations to satisfy any craving.  I LOVE Chickpeas!

************************************************************************************************

Ok ~ I’ll stop there ~ let’s just say it’s a good issue I may have actually drooled on my magazine when I came across Ellie Krieger’s Spicy Chicken Fried Rice with Peanuts.  I couldn’t find the recipe on myrecipes.com, but, you can find it HERE.  I followed the recipe for the most part with the exception of subbing TJ’s Broccoli Slaw for the water chestnuts plus Sriracha.

I LOVE any recipe that lets me use my All-Clad Wok, however, any large stainless steel pan works, like the on you can find in my OPEN SKY SHOP!.  I am a FIRM believer in using high quality stainless steel (think surgical) steel pans because you do not end up with anything you don’t want in your food (like Teflon pieces or Cast Iron Metal). 

HIGH QUALITY is definitely a must if you buy any stainless steel pan because it cannot be easily scratched which means things do not stick.  If they do, you can simply boil a little water and use a spatula to remove it.  I LOVE ALL CLAD for this reason!

I had a NICE 1 1/4 cup serving for 7 POINTS topped with more Sriracha ~ I LOVED the spicy addition.  This recipe is really delish even if it’s not really like Chinese Food Fried Rice.  Everything just works together.

I made up a Spicy Peanut Slaw to go with it using Trader Joe’s Broccoli Slaw with 1 Tbsp TJ’s Low-Fat Spicy Peanut Sauce.

I was starving all day, but, my lunch finally did the job along with a few Pop Chips in the afternoon at holding me over until I could get home to the dinner I put in the Crock Pot this morning.

SLOW COOKER TURKEY BURRITO BAKE!!!

This has layers and layers of flavors….Ground Turkey, Enchilada Sauce, Salsa, Fire Roasted Red Tomato, Veggies, Tortillas, Rice, Beans, CHEESE!  It’s as good as it sounds!

I served mine over romaine lettuce and made a turkey enchilada burrito salad topped with avocado, tomatoes and green onions. 

This might just be my FAVORITE new recipe….I will be posting it tomorrow for you all!

For now, I am off to finish watching THE SCANDALOUS BACHELOR FINALE!!!  Are you all excited about who he picked or not???

GET READY FOR A BIG OPEN SKY GIVEAWAY COMING UP ON WEDNESDAY ~ I will be offering you all another discount with a personalized gift for each person who buys and 3 LUCKY people will win a prize too!

Night all!

Happy Friday Eve all!!!  I cannot wait for the weekend and my long run with my sis!  I am working on focusing on more FILLING FOODS (CORE FOODS) which basically means, clean foods, that are not processed and will help fill you up ~ like lean proteins, veggies, fruits, low fat dairy,whole grains, etc to see if this will help me eat less.  I think if I put a bunch of the good stuff in, then, I won’t have as much room for the not so good stuff.

I read somewhere in an article that each person eats the same amount of volume every day regardless of what you eat.  So, if you fill your tummy with volumous veggies and such, then, you will be filling up that space with less calories.

Anyway…that’s my ramble and my goal for this week.  Feel free to share your FAVORITE ideas as I am always open to looking for new ways to fill up

A perfectly hard boiled egg ~ 2 points of Protein

Then, I moved onto dessert!  I completely LOVED this bowl of oats!

1/3 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1/2 Tbsp ground Organic Flax Seeds

BIG dashes of ground cinnamon

2/3 c water

1 NECTARINE, chopped

All cooked in the microwave for 2 minutes.  Then, I added the BEST TOPPERS

1 1/2 tsp whipped butter, crumbled

1 tsp brown sugar

Sprinkle of unsweetened organic coconut

I let everything get all melty ~ The brown sugar created a FANTASTIC caramel sauce that was contrasted with the salty butter.

I made sure to get everything in each bite.  Can you believe this entire bowl is only 3.5 points?!

I had REALLY DIRTY thoughts this morning when I pondered my mid morning snack!  Awww, common, not like that ~ get your mind out of the gutter ~ I had a 3 point DIRTY LATTE (grqande, nf, decaf, 2 pumps mocha).

I LOVE getting out at lunch time for my runs because it can really make any grumpy day better.  I went a total of 3.83 miles, walking the last portion ~ 1/2 mile.  I am glad I pushed through it because I really wanted to stop after 2 miles….but, I wasn’t going to let my brain win.

When I got back, I whipped up one of the TASTIEST QUIKC LUNCHES I’ve had in a long time.  It started off with this Trader Jose’s (LOVE TJ’s creativity LOL) Vegetarian Chili.

4 points for 1/2 a can.

REAL ingredients ~ win, win!

I started off with a layer of leftover SMASHED SWEET POTATOES ~ 2/3 cup for 2 pts.

Then, I added in the layers of goodness.

1/2 can TJ’s Vegetarian Chili (although homemade would’ve rocked!!)

1 Tbsp diced red onion

2 Tbsp low fat finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 roma tomato, chopped

1/4 AVOCADO, chopped

BIG SHAKES OF SRIRACHA HOT SAUCE!!!

OMG ~ Words cannot even describe how good this was.  The entire dish was 9 points and worth everyone!!!  The BEST part if you are doing the Simply Filling Method/CORE ~ it’s CORE (if you use FF cheese of course).

I had 1 cup of grapes for dessert (1 pt).

YUM, YUM, YUM ~ I totally want to do it all over again ~ I WISH I had more sweet potato now!

I gave myself TWO GOLD STARS today for passing up on the birthday cake celebration.  Instead, I opted for 2 points worth of cashews because you know it’s totally the same thing as cake .

On my way home, I stopped at Target and picked up some of these Kashi TLC Mediterranean Bruschetta Crackers that one of my readers recommended.

2 crackers are 1 point or you get 4 for 2 points.

Not too bad considering how HUGE they are, huh?  I had two to test them out.  I like them – they are sorta sweet, salty and you can totally taste the sesame seeds with the sun dried tomato basil.  I bet they would be FANTASTIC with tuna and or as mini sandwiches using laughing cow, ham and pickles.

One of my FAVORITE ways to get in my 2 teaspoons of healthy oil on the WW program is by making HASHBROWNS.  Have you all ever tried this?  I cheat by taking the frozen Ore Ida Potatoes (LOVE the ones with peppers & onions already).

2/3 c = 1 point!!!

I added 2 tsp of oil per serving (I was making 4 servings so 1 1/2 Tbsps) plus 1 small chopped onion and 1 small chopped bell pepper.

Top with your potatoes and “fry” them until they are browned over medium heat, about 10 minutes flipping a few times through.  Be sure to use a nonstick pan or they get “stuck” and mushy.  I LOVE topping them with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper as they cook.

I had a 1 cup serving for 3 points.

Crispy and totally like the kind you would get in a restaurant, but, healthier since you controlled how much oil was used. AWESOME!

While the taters cooked, I grilled up some LEAN pork chops with Annie’s Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce (honestly the only flavor I like).  2.5 ounces ~ 2.5 points!

Plus a cup of Swiss Chard that was topped with garlic salt and pepper.

My 30 minute delicious meal that had The Husband Mmmm and oohhhh the whole time !

BAY AREA BLOGGERS OR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MEET!!!

TJ and I were thinking of hosting a Blogger Meet up ~ What do you all think?  Email me at danicasdaily at gmail dot com if you wanna be in on the action ~ FUN!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a FUN FRIDAY GIVEAWAY ~ INVOLVING TARGET!!!

I am off to read my Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl Book ~ Nite all!

Happy Thursday all!  Do you ever have a day of really good food that makes you just go YUM when you eat it?  Well, that is entirely how my day went, but, I am finding as I recap it all for you all I am like YUM!!! Can I just do it all over again?

I was so undecided this morning for what I wanted for breakfast.  I know that I need to have something that has protein, healthy carbs with fiber, a little healthy fat and some fruit to make my breakfast last.

I pulled out my jar of Nut Barn Crunchy Almond Butter and I was sooooo sad when I looked inside.  This is my LAST jar from the Farmer’s Market and my last serving   I NEED to get more ASAP…Farmer’s Market come back!!!

My sadness quickly went away when I added Banana Coconut Oats with a little drizzle of agave…..

Then, a dash of cinnamon!

1/3 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

2/3 c water

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

Dashes of cinnamon

Cooked in the microwave for 1 minute 10 seconds in a separate bowl.

1 big banana mixed in after it was cooked.  I poured everything in my Almond Butter Jar then added the finishing touches with coconut, agave (drizzle ~ 1/2 tsp) and more cinnamon.

Obviously it was horrible and you all shouldn’t ever try this at home   I LOVED getting the almond butter treat at the bottom and it was a pretty good points bargain of 6 pts.

I had a quick 2 pt egg before I headed out for my lunchtime run so I wouldn’t be famished when I returned. 

I ran 3.3 miles today using a 5:1 ratio and it felt FANTASTIC!!  I noticed my back a little but it wasn’t painful like it has been the past few days.  I took it easy, went slow and when I returned I was so pumped to be running again!

I whipped up the most FANTASTIC SALAD I’ve made in a really long time for lunch.

Caribbean Citrus Chicken salad with Oranges and Fresh Roasted Beets

I roasted up two types of beets this weekend (How-To coming soon along with the other squash How-To I owe you all).

Golden Beets

RED beets

Topped with pistachios, blueberries, shaved parmesan and a homemade Sesame Citrus Vinaigrette ~ AMAZING and only 6 points of all of this!!!

This salad deserves it’s own post so I will be sure to post it this week as well ( my list that I owe you all is forever growing!)  My co-worker gave me a HOT YELLOW Chili pepper to go with it.  I only managed about 1/4 of it since it was HOT, HOT, HOT!

The afternoon flew but, like clockwork, I was ready for something sweet at 3.  I started off with a couple of TJ’s Dark Chocolate Crisps (1 pt) because well, I wanted CHOCOLATE!

Then, I split an Honest Foods Choco Peanut Butter bar with my co-worker. 

I LOVE the stats and ingredient listing.  2 pts for half and absolutely delish!

The Husband met me at my Weight Watcher meeting and we headed to dinner at Vazquez for some Chicken Tacos!! I think I could eat these every day – Spicy, crunchy and just AMAZING.  I had 2 for 8 pts.

I picked up two super cool NEW books at my meeting today.  The first is a cookbook with JUST slow cooker recipes!  I am thinking I  may need to cook 1 a week to test them all out  ~ whatcha think? 

The other book I am SO EXCITED about ~ It is the autobiography of Jean, the woman behind Weight Watchers.  I have always thought she was a fascinating person so I cannot wait to dig in and read all about her life, her story and her success.

It seriously felt like my birthday when I got home because I had TWO fun packages waiting for me.  First, the NEWEST CLEAN EATING Magazine!  This is by far one of my FAVORITE all around magazines ~ it has amazing recipes that make me drool (look at the COVER), fantastic meal plans for ideas and of course, great articles and tips for leading a healthy, clean lifestyle.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!  I am sure you will see some recipes from here next month too

The second package was a HUGE box from General Mills to thank me for my Souper Giveaway!  I really wanted the Jump Rope that counts calories, but, how cool is it to get a fun new mug (LOVE my dishes!!) and I think just about every Progresso Soup out there.  Thanks all ~ I LOVE it and cannot wait to try it for days when I don’t feel like cooking.

OPEN SKY NEWS!!!

*FIRST, I wanted to let you all know that I set up a separate page for My Open Sky Shop to give you all E-Z access for whenever you might wanna check it out.  I also did a widget on the right that you can click on too.

*SECOND ~ The always amazing folks at Open Sky are running TWO Promotions for the Super Bowl and Valentine’s day.

TWO SUPER BOWL PACKS

1 for the GUYS ~ The Ultimate Beer and Pretzel Super Bowl
1 for the GIRLS ~ The Super Chic Super Bowl Package

Plus fun things for Valentine’s Day

The BEST part is that if you sign up with Open Sky by entering your email address plus your favorite OpenSky Shopkeeper (ME – Danica’s Daily) you will receive a special coupon of 25% off all of these Valentine’s Day or Super Bowl gifts!

Shoppers who visit the Super Bowl Promo page enter a contest for the chance to win either the Pretzels and Beer or Super Chic Party Package. The winner will be announced this Friday, in time to receive their package by the Super Bowl.

FUN!

I am off to dive into my new Clean Eating Magazine, Cookbook and AutoBiography.

Nite all!

Ok, so, how many of you guessed I am THAT old?  I actually think age is only a number, it definitely doesn’t tell you how OLD you are ~ it’s all about how you feel inside and out.  I am totally younger than my number , how about you?!  I think that is why I still LOVE celebrating my birthday or at least trying to

The Husband had such great intentions today to celebrate but the weather just didn’t cooperate.  When I got up it was completely storming, pouring and windy   We had planned on going to the Winchester Mystery House, but, since part of the tour is outside, we decided to wait.  I had pondered putting off my 3.5 mile run, but, figured it would be better to check it off my list early and maybe THIS rain would lighten up a bit

After my run, I made a FANTASTIC BOWL of oats that involved TWO fun ingredients I wanted to use.

CINNAMON CHIPS that you grind like freshly ground pepper.

And my new TJ’s SUPER FRUIT JAM

BLUBERRY COCONUT SUPER FRUIT OATS

1/3 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

Big TWISTS of freshly ground cinnamon

1/2 c blueberries

1/2 c water

All micro-waved for 2 minutes, then, topped with:

Unsweetened Organic Coconut

1 dallop TJ’s SUPER FRUIT Jam

1 Tbsp crunchy almond butter

Completely delicious, warm and only 4 points!

We pondered what to do with our day as we headed out to Starbuck’s for a tall FF Chai Tea Latte.

We both LOVE driving around and looking at houses for sale so we did that for a bit while we sipped our drinks.  Then, we thought, why not go bowling, we haven’t done that in forever.  Um….I guess that is the thing to do a on rainy holiday.  They had a freakin’ waiting list of 10 groups to get a lane….crazy. 

We stopped for lunch at MS Tasty while we pondered other ideas.  This is the diner that I have them make my order that isn’t on the menu.  I LOVE that they cater to my requests.

FRESHLY STEAMED, CRUNCHY VEGGIES

THE BEST TERIYAKI CHICKEN

ALL TOGETHER WITH STEAMED RICE.  I estimate this is about 7-8 pts and worth every bite.  The Husband eats have my chicken so it’s probably less

After lunch, we did a little house remodeling research at Lowe’s and came across this AMAZING rainbow!  The best part is that it ended at The Husband’s bank – IRONIC!

I was just wanting something sweet famished after shopping (seriously, men can spend HOURS in places like Home Depot and Lowe’s so I snacked on a few bunnies is the spirit of my giveaway for 1 pt

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, watching our NetFlix before deciding what to do for dinner.  I had the option of going out to any place I wanted, but, honestly, I wasn’t super hungry and I wasn’t craving anything either.  I figured I’d save my calories and indulgence for later in the week when I didn’t want to cook and I really had a craving for something. 

I whipped up a QUICK BUFFALO CHICKEN SALADS for us.

TJ’s Organic Herb Salad Mix

Organic Persian Cucumbers

Mini Red Bell Pepper Slices

Carrot strips

Organic Cherry Tomatoes

AVOCADO

1 LF Colby Square

Toasted Almond Slices

3 Tyson’s Buffalo Chicken Bites (a chickpatty with hot sauce would be awesome too!)

Topped with Annie’s Cowgirl Ranch (8 pts) ~ AWESOME!!!  Lunch, crunchy, salty, GOOD!

In the spirit of my birthday The Husband whipped up a healthy BIRTHDAY SUNDAE for me.  He gave me the option of cake or ice cream and seriously who wouldn’t pick ICE CREAM!!!

1 c 1/2 the fat Turtle Tracks (OMG – so AMAZING ~ caramel & vanilla ice cream with caramel swirls with toffee and choclate covered pecans) – TOTAL LOVE!

Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel (THE BEST store bought sauce!)

Whipped cream and sprinkles

If we had banana, that would’ve been AWESOME in this!

I didn’t calc the points, but, you know, points totally shouldn’t count on your birthday

It was nice having a low key birthday especially since I feel like we have been celebrating all weekend.  It was the PERFECT day to since The Husband had such great intentions – it’s all about the thought

HOP ON THE ANNIE’S FRUITY BUNNY GIVEAWAY BY CLICKING HERE!!

Thanks to everyone for all the AWESOME Birthday wishes sent on Facebook, in comments, Twitter and emailed ~ You all are incredibly thoughtful and totally know how to make a girls day!  I feel SO LOVED ~ THANKS a million times over!

It’s SCANDALOUS BACHELOR TIME ~ WOOHOO!!!!

Nite all!

Today was such a “Monday” until I headed out for my AWESOME lunchtime run.  First, I realized that my fancy new DROID phone could take 3 things and make them in 1.  Normally when I run, I have my phone (safety), Garmin (distance/speed) and MP3 player (MP3=better than an IOPD b/c it gets radio too!) Check this out ~ My phone does ALL THREE!  It has Slacker or Pandora Radio or you can load your music to shuffle and I have a FREE Cardio Trainer ap that does EXACTLY what my Garmin does, but, more. As your music is playing, it chimes in, tells you your pace, how far you have gone and your time.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!  Oh and since I was “carrying” less I am sure I ran faster too

It was soooo freakin’ cold and windy outside that I honestly felt like I was jogging in place (yes, I sound like my parents having to walk to school barefoot, backwards and in the snow) LOL.  But, I persevered through it all and slammed out 3.35 miles – woohoo!  It was the perfect break in my day.

My eats were pretty tasty too, but, fast since I was on a deadline.  I was craving comfort like dessert this morning when I woke up for breakfast so it’s EXACTLY what I made.

BLUEBERRY COBBLER OATS

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

1 c water

1 Tbsp ground Flax Seed

BIG dashes of freshly ground cinnamon

1 c blueberries

All cooked in the Microwave for 2 minutes, then, topped with 1 Tbsp of sugar and whipped butter.

I let the brown sugar and butter melt together so it tasted like creamy, rich, sweet cobbler with plump blueberries in every bite.  a FANTASTIC 6 point bowl of oatmeal if I do say so myself.

Mid morning I was sorta hungry, sorta not. I thought of passing on my snack but then thought I would be STARVING if I waited to eat until after my run since that would be a 6 hour break in eats.  So, I snacked on a little fruity trail mix for 3 pts.

After my run, I had a choice of leftover soup or this Trader Joe’s Spicy Kung Pao Chicken.

The spicy chicken won….great ingredients and stats (8 pts).

I topped this with Sriracha sauce after for extra spice and I warmed right up after my run

After I finished my project, I realized I had not had any dairy today.  I grabbed a 1 point Sargento Low-Fat Colby Cheese square.  I always keep these on hand for snacks and sandwiches – LOVE them!

I have been excited all day for the dinner I had planned.  I watched Penne for Pennies being made yesterday on The Food Network and knew I HAD to make it.  I LOVE the latest Food Network Star ~ she is super cute and her food always looks AMAZING.  You can get the recipe HERE and I provided my steps below.

Preheat you oven to 400-425 degrees and quickly “wedge” up your veggies.  I went with what I had on hand.

Drizzle with ~ 2 Tbsp Olive oil, Sea Salt and Black Pepper.  Then, pop them in the oven to roast.

While your veggies roast, season up your cherry tomatoes with sea salt, pepper and a little olive oil.  Flip your veggies above half way through and add tomatoes.

While the veggies are roasting, cook your penne (according to the box) and brown your sausage.  I used Trader Joe’s Chicken Apple Sausage ~ YUM! 

Once your sausage has been burned browned, deglaze your pan with a little white wine.

Be sure to scrape up all those browned bits as they hold all the flavor.

Roughly chop your roasted veggies and add them to your sausage mix.

Add your cooked pasta plus

a little reserved pasta water.

Tadah!  So fast, easy and colorful.  Mine definitely made more than 4 servings more like 6-8 servings.

I ALWAYS use my FAVORITE Weight Watcher scoopers when serving up dishes.  They are pre-measured in 1/4 c, 1/2 c and 1 cup.  LOVE it!

Of course, I STUFFED as much as I can in that cup.

I serve it up on a salad plate to make it look like ALOT more.  It really works great for my brain to think I am getting plenty.

I topped mine with a little freshly shaved parmesan cheese (all for 7 points!)

I wanted to use the AVOCADOS that The Husband’s mom gave us.  One of her co-workers grows them.  They have such great color ~ brighter, greener, creamier and almost nutty – AMAZING how HOME GROWN AVOCADOS just do not compare.

While everything cooked, I prepared some simple salads to go along with our Penne for Pennies.

Dinner was completely light and satisfying.  Now, if I only room (and of course someone to make it for me) to eat her fantastic looking Cranberry Orange Parfaits.

I LOVE The Food Network ~ I honestly think it’s the one TV station I can watch ALL day the way The Husband can watch sports all day.  Hmmm, maybe cooking IS a sport –whatcha think? LOL

The other COOL realization I had ~ MY BIRTHDAY IS ONE WEEK FROM TODAY ~ Yahoo!!! Yes, I am old, but, I STILL get excited for it

Off to watch The “scandalous” Bachelor! The Husband is intrigued too I wonder if I can get him hooked too Can’t wait….

Nite all!!

Yeah the week is almost over and I cannot WAIT for the weekend!  I am really looking forward to the First Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival.  So, I debated sharing my eats for yesterday or today since I technically haven’t shown you either.  I decided yesterday’s were tastier as I looked through the pictures and remembered my breakfast ~ MMMM!

Breakfast involved a few of my FAVORITE things.

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1 c water

2 Tbsp ground flax seed

Dashes of Cinnamon

1/2 banana quartered & stirred in after cooking

1/2 banana sliced on top

Drizzle of Apple Cider Sauce!!!!

Sprinkle of Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola for crunch

Plus a spoonful of Crunchy Nut Barn Almond Butter…..

So AMAZING ~ just looking at the pictures makes me want to have it all over again.

Lunch was a bit of randomness but it worked and was pretty tasty.I have been working on cleaning out the fridge this week since we will be at the FoodBuzz Blogger Festival ALL weekend – yahoo!  I cannot wait. 

Roasted Butternut Squash, Yellow & Orange Carrots

Tri-colored swiss chard.

My sandwich was totally planned.  I bought The Husband some Sweet Hawaiian Rolls for his sammies.  I decided I NEEDED to have one too.

1 Hawaiian Sweet Roll

Trader Joe’s Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

98% Lean Honey Ham and Honey Turkey

1 slice Jarlsburg Lite Swiss Cheese

It was an AWESOME lunch and really fun to eat.  I am pretty sure it was the plate that added to the fun

I wasn’t really hungry for an afternoon snack, but, I wanted something sweet. I snacked on this Trader Joe’s Mini Chocolate bar that they gave out as samples on Halloween! 

I LOVE having leftovers when you work late and do not feel like cooking at all.  I had a choice of another cheesy bacon & bean stuffed pepper of the extra stuffing.  Ummmm, I picked the Bacon/Bean and Rice stuffing!

Topped with Annie’s Organic Ketchup.  I actually think this tasted even better the next day.

Off to ponder what to pack, read, relax and get some zzzzzz’s so I can get in an early morning workout.

Have a great night all! 2 days and counting……Yeah!!!

I was up bright and early this morning since my body didn’t want to let me sleep for real last night.  I woke up at 1:37 am and did that whole sorta sleep, not really sleep thing.  I guess it made it a bit easier to get up when it was rainy and stormy outside.

FUN THINGS OF TODAY:

I saw that ConAgra ~ the makers of a ton of things we eat came out with this 100 less challenge this week.  I LOVE the concept of their challenge to get everyone to eat 100 calories less each day.  Click HERE to read on.

Top Chef filming at Whole Foods in Napa on Wednesday to film ~ AWESOME!

I get to tour some wineries and restaurants to pick for our holiday party the next few weeks – LOVE it!

We have one month until our 1 year anniversary cruise!

I dreamt about my breakfast last  night and it was going to include my new cider sauce.

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

2 Tbsp ground flax seed

1 c water

Dashes of cinnamon and sea salt

1 mini fuji apple chopped

All cooked up in the microwave in 2 minutes.  Topped with a BU Tbsp Dollop of freshly ground almond butter and CIDER SAUCE!  Awesome ~ That’s all I can say.  I can see cider sauce having a permanent place in my life   I wonder if I can figure out how to make it…..Hmmmmm!

I had to run a few errands at lunch today so I made sure I included a stop at Whole Foods for some more Soup Creativity.  I pondered mixing Chicken Tortilla Soup with Black Bean Soup, but, in the end, the Southwester White Bean Chicken Chili with Sioux Turkey Chili won. 

I used 1/2 and 1/2 this time which made for a majorly thick chili soup.  I think I like the combo of 3/4 chicken and 1/4 turkey best.  Still it was AMAZING.  I managed to eat 1/2 of the soup and ALL of my corny bread.  I was happily full and warm!

Since Trader Joe’s is right next door to Whole Foods, I almost always go in for samples without a real purpose.  They finally had the Chocolate Crisps back in stock so I picked up both flavors.  DARK CHOCOLATE! 

MILK CHOCOLATE!

Did I mention that an entire serving is 12?! Awesome!

I had to make sure I sampled both flavors to give you all a thorough review   I started with the Milk Chocolate (next time, go dark 1st since it isn’t as sweet!)  I LOVE how they stack them like Pringles….

HI TJ’s Peeps! I think I seriously LOVE you (as if you didn’t know, but, honestly, I really do!)  Whose fantastic idea was it to make a  chocolate chip ~ it’s all chocolate with little rice crispies that taste like toffee in the shape of a chip.  I LOVED the milk chocolate ~ totally addictive!

All of my co-worker’s who are dark chocolate connoisseur’s LOVED Dark Chocolate best.  I LOVED them both the same and wouldn’t complain at all to have either.  The cool part is that they are both so rich to me that you really do not need 12 ~ BONUS!  As on co-worker pointed out, 6 are only 115 or 110 calories – BARGAIN!!!

After sampling both chocolates, I broke out the Pumpkin Fudge to share with everyone.  I cannot even come up with the words to describe this creamy, pumpkin-y goodness! 

On my way home, I saw the most BEAUTIFUL rainbow right above one of the orchards that had orange and yellow grape trees.  I wish I would’ve left earlier to capture all the colors to share with you all.  Yes, my commute can take forever on our 2 lane highway but when you drive pass wineries and stuff like this it makes you forget about all the cars.  I DEDICATE THIS RAINBOW TO THE HUSBAND!! Mwah!

When I got home, we picked up The Husband’s mom’s stove and delivered it.  I was seriously having cookers block.  Is there such a thing?  I couldn’t think what to cook tonight for dinner so I took the easy way out.  I started off with an colorful blurry salad.

Plus 7 Trader Joe’s Vegetable Gyoza ~ Pan Fried in a little oil then steamed in water.

I broke out all the sauces needed to make my meal complete along with fizzy water.

Then, I made everything saucy.  Srirayachi plus soy sauce on the gyoza and Trader Joe’s Low Fat Cranberry Walnut Gorgonzola dressing.

I was still hungry, so I decided to have dessert right after dinner.  The super cool Peep’s at Yoplait sent me some coupons to try out their new Yoplait Delights.  They come in 3 other flavors ~ Lemon Torte, Triple Berry Creme, Creme Caramel ~ MMMMM….can’t wait to try them!

The first flavor I picked up was the Raspberry Chocolate Parfait. (The Husband broke into the box B4 I could take a picture )

2 Weight Watcher Points of creamy indulgence ~ Perfect for an afternoon or evening sweet craving!

I LOVE the concept of these parfait yogurts ~ they layer 2 thick and rich flavors of creamy yogurt.  I LOVED the raspberry part, but, chocolate yogurt is just ok to me.  I ate them in two separate layers since I don’t think chocolate and fruit belong together, but, you might and would LOVE to mix them up

Yoplait is giving ALL my readers a coupon for $1.25 off each 4-pack!!!!  Click HERE to print yours out ~ Yeah!!!

Tomorrow I have to tour Frazier Winery as a potential place to host our Holiday party .  Such a rough job, but, someone has to do it, right?  I LOVE that you can eat in their CAVES!!!

Have a great night all!  I’ll get back to cooking this week.  I STILL have a bunch of fun stuff planned for you ~ now I just need time to make it happen

Happy Fall Ya’All!  That is what came across my mind this morning when I woke up and it was DARK, RAINY and WINDY.  I did try to hit snooze and pretend I didn’t have to get up but that only lasted ummm 9  minutes LOL.  I hopped out of bed and braved our first rainy day with 56 mph winds in the Bay.

I whipped up a fast, warm bowl of comfort for breakfast in the microwave

1/2  Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1 c water

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

1/2 banana cooked in and 1/2 on top

1 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Berry Blend

Dashes of cinnamon

1 Tbsp freshly ground almond butter

Breakfast kept me going all morning until my sushi date with my friend.  She just got back from Hawaii (*jealous*) so she spilled all the details.  I can’t wait for our vacay now

We opted for Sushi Yu since it was next to the Over The Top Froyo Shop.  I’ve been dying to try their pumpkin but they were CLOSED today   We didn’t find out of course until after getting soaked in the rain ~ bummer! We could’ve had GOOD sushi at Sushi Mambo!

For lunch, I started off with a warm bowl of miso soup with grass tea (that is what I think green tea tastes like).

I had a couple of this Gyoza’s ~ they were eh, ok, but, not really good at all.

We shared a YU rol that was HUGE!  It had Salmon, Tuna, Crab, Shrimp, Cucumber, Green Onions and a sorta spicy sauce.

I went back to work froyo-less and didn’t end up having an afternoon snack since I was STILL pouting over the yogurt.  LOL….Actually though, lunch held me over pretty good. 

When I got home, I whipped up a batch of my latest Pumpkin Muffin Creations and pulled out two things to make up a fast dinner.

Trader Joe’s Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage & Monterey Pasta Co Rainbow Tortellini

The nutritionals are awesome on the sausage and eh ok on the tortellini.

But, we all know I bought it for the color!  I had bought 2 containers awhile back when they were on sale and put them in the freezer.  AFTER I put them in the water, I read that they said to unthaw them first – oops!

I browned up I sliced and browned the TJ’s sausage.

Removed it from the pan and added a little olive oil with yellow bell pepper, purple bell pepper, red and white onion and button mushrooms.

After the veggies were soft, I added the sausage back, plus spinach plus the cooked tortellini with a small scoop of the pasta water.

Wahhhlaaahhh ~ Tortellini Toss! I really just had a bunch of veggies to use up and needed something that cooked up fast ~ it works!

I topped it with a little shaved parmesan ~ mmmmm delish!

Plus, some of The Husband’s leftover salad with AVOCADO!

Since The Husband had to work late, I dined with our pumpkin family.  They all say Hi!

After dinner, I quickly did the dishes and headed out to do my speech.  I had so much fun with these ladies.  I was all worried I would run out of things to talk about, but, they were full of questions and I think they all want to start blogging now   It was great sharing my blogging experience and that of my friends with how blogging has had a positive impact on our lives.

When I got back, I had one of the muffins I baked earlier ~ a Pumpkin Pomegranate Muffin!!!  Super moist, dense with crunchy sweet tartness from the POM seeds!  SO GOOD ~ these would be amazing topped with homemade pumpkin butter!  Recipe coming this week!

I also snacked on a few Haribo Gummy Bears that The Husband got me yesterday while watching The Biggest Loser.  Is it wrong that I ate candy while watching the show?! LOL

Can I just say I am SOOO ANNOYED with their choice of who they sent home?! What is wrong with the Bob’s Blue team!!!

Tomorrow is another fun filled busy day!  Make sure you check back tomorrow first thing as I am announcing my BIG Giveaway this week!  Ok, here is a hint…..

Do you all remember when the fantastic Peeps at Yoplait sent me those amazing 0 Point Fiber 1 Yoplait 50 calorie yogurts?? Tomorrow morning I will be giving away FREE 4 packs to the first 50 people who…….check back at 7 AM and you could be a WINNER!!!

See you in the AM!!!! Nite all!

Happy Sunday everyone! I am SUPER excited about the line up I have planned for you all this week.  I think you are going to LOVE it.  I am working on a bunch of new recipes ~ some highlights include ~  a super cool VEGAN recipe involving chickpeas, a How-To and another pumpkin bread using another fall fruit ~ any guesses on the fruit?

OH and let me just say GIVEAWAYS!!! I am hosting my BIGGEST giveaway yet on Wednesday.  Ready for this ~ there will be 50 WINNERS!!!! I am so pumped for it – I cannot wait to share the details with you all.  I have a few other giveaways lined up for you all this month as well ~ I am jealous because I want to win them LOL.

I won another award and you all will get the chance to learn a little about me when I post it.

The Husband has a funny little post he plans on sharing this week, I think.  It is really just a picture, but, his commentary is always funny.

I also will be launching a cool new feature on my blog to allow you all to save/print/store my recipes soon (this week I hope).  I think you will LOVE it!

I think I may try balancing things by adding back posting my daily eats and workouts ~ fingers crossed I can do it and not take 1-2 hours posting in the evening.

On Tuesday, I give my speech about blogging to an entire group of women ~ ahhhh!  Being the planner I am, I have yet to write it up and put my presentation together.  Soooooo…..if you all have anything, any thought you think I can share, feel free to comment away.  I have to speak for 15 minutes

I think that sums it all up ~ so much fun stuff planned that I have a hard time not sharing and posting it all in one day Instead, I’ll leave you with one MORE Pumpkin Butter use ~ I am pretty sure you could guess this was coming…..

PUMPKIN BUTTER OATS

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

1 c water or 1/2 water, 1/2 apple juice

1 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Berry Blend

2 Tbsp Homemade Healthy Pumpkin Butter

1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed

Dashes of Cinnamon, Vanilla and Sea Salt

Combine the above in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove and add your desired toppings.

TOPPINGS:

1 Tbsp chopped walnuts, roasted in the microwave for 1 minute, 35 seconds

Sprinkle of Organic Unsweetened Coconut

~ This is also awesome topped with a drizzle of agave, almond butter or more PUMPKIN BUTTER!

Incredibly delish ~ I LOVE oatmeal and PUMPKIN OATS rock!  I promise, my pumpkin butter is all gone now   Would you believe me if I told you I am not even a HUGE pumpkin fan?  This year though for some odd reason, maybe I finally am becoming one.  It might be that whole trying something 12 times and then you like it philosophy. 

Alright ~ we are off for the day.  Have a awesome day all!